This invention relates to systems for activating miniature markers, and more particularly to systems for excitation of resonating miniature marker assemblies for use in locating the markers in three-dimensional space.
Systems have been developed to activate and detect remote activatable marker assemblies positioned, as an example, in or on a selected item or object. The markers generate a signal used to detect the presence of the marker. Many of the activatable markers are hard-wired to a power source or other equipment external from the object. Other systems have been developed that utilize resonating leadless markers, also referred to as wireless active markers, positionable at or near a selected target. These wireless active markers are typically activated or energized by a remote excitation source that generates a strong continuous excitation signal. Accordingly, the markers generate a detectable marker signal that must be distinguished from the strong continuous excitation signal and then analyzed in an effort to try to accurately determine the target""s location. The process of distinguishing a weak marker signal from the strong continuous excitation signal, while maintaining sufficient accuracy for determining the marker""s location, has proven to be very difficult.
Other systems have provided detection of leadless markers to determine a two-dimensional proximity (e.g., X, Y coordinates) to detectors for use with game boards, surgical tag detection devices, and medical tube placement verification systems. In the case of the game boards, a unique game piece with a resonator of a predetermined frequency is moved across the game board, and the X and Y location ordinates of the game piece relative to the game board are displayed so the players can determine the general location of the game piece on the game board. U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,327 to Gilboa identifies that the X, Y coordinates, as a function of amplitude or phase, may be determined experimentally for a given game board design. Additionally, Z distance away from the game board may be determined to a sufficient accuracy for game use by the strength of the signal above the game board provided that the signal is not a strong function of the X and Y locations. U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,368 to Ryan provides a system for determining in two dimensions which individual square of a chess board a particular chess piece is on during a chess game. The system disclosed by Ryan does not determine the Z direction.
In the case of the surgical tag and detection device, U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,818 to Blair discloses surgical devices, such as sponges, that have activatable resonator tags thereon. A probe with an interrogation ring is provided that can be scanned over an area of a patient after surgery to determine if any surgical devices having the resonator tags have been left behind. Therefore, the detection device of Blair is only detecting the existence or proximity of a surgical tag with the interrogation ring, rather than the actual location of the activatable tags.
In the case of the medical tube placement verification device, U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,873 to Hirschi et al. teaches a system that detects the general position of an object within a body of tissue. The detection system includes a resonant circuit attached to the object and a separate detection probe having a visual display indicating the direction which the probe should be moved to center the detection probe over the object.
The systems of the above patents activate the markers with a pulsed excitation signal generated by driving an untuned source coil with either a unipolar polarity to produce a wide band impulse function or a bipolar polarity to create a waveform that more closely matches the desired resonant frequency of the marker. The required levels of magnetic excitation for the markers in the above patents are relatively low such that the excitation energy in the source coil is substantially consumed after each pulse due to the pulse circuitry resistive losses. The source coils are driven by linear amplifiers, and in one case by linear amplifiers at both ends of the coil, and by a simple pulse network that energizes the coil and extinguishes resistively. The amplitude of the pulsed excitation signal required for these applications is relatively low since either the resonator circuit to be located is of a large size, the volume in which the resonator must be located is relatively small, or the accuracy requirements locating the resonator are quite low. Accordingly, the existing systems are not suitable for use in many situations wherein highly accurate determinations of the marker""s location in three-dimensional space are required. The existing systems may also not be suitable for use with efficient, high-energy systems for energizing the marker assemblies so as to provide a sufficient marker signal for use in determining the location of the marker in three-dimensional space relative to remote sensors.
Other systems have been developed for proximity detection of resonator tags for Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) systems. The requirements for EAS systems are to detect the presence of a security tag within a six-foot wide aisle using one antenna assembly for both excitation and detection of the tag within the aisle. Some EAS systems utilize tuned resonant excitation source coil drive circuitry for pulsed resonator tag operation. As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,696 to Balch et al. discloses a linear amplifier using current feedback linear power amplifiers to drive an excitation source tuned to resonant coils for use in pulsed EAS systems. The current feedback is used to adjust the linear amplifier""s drive current level provided to the tuned excitation source coil load. The current feedback is also used to provide for a relatively constant current drive for exciting resonant EAS tags in the field. The source coil is tuned to allow for use of a simple, low voltage linear amplifier circuit design. The source coil current pulse waveform is determined by the summation of the sinusoidal control signal and the drive current feedback signal input to the linear amplifier.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,693 to Balch et al. discloses the use of linear power amplifiers to drive tuned excitation source coils for use in pulsed EAS systems. An apparatus for switching power to a linear amplifier is provided to turn to an xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d state and an xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d state used to control the output drive pulse burst of the tuned excitation source coils. Balch et al. ""693 also identifies that linear amplifiers which generate drive signals for a tuned source coil since linear amplifiers are typically only about thirty to forty percent efficient. The inherent inefficiency of the linear amplifier drive is improved by switching the amplifier power xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d at the same time that the pulse control input signal to the power supply is switched xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,076 to Herring teaches one of more damping circuits provided in series with excitation source coils and used to promote rapid dampening of the pulsed excitation interrogation signals at the end of each signal pulse. Providing the switchable damping circuits in series with the antenna increases the power dissipation of the device during pulse delivery due to added damping circuit switch resistance in the antenna current path.
The above systems employ a resonator circuit energized with a pulsed excitation signal and the resonator response signal is measured with sensing coils. The amplitude of the pulsed excitation signal required for these applications is relatively low since either the resonator circuit to be located is of a large size, the volume in which the resonator must be located is relatively small, or the accuracy requirements locating the resonator are quite low.
Under one aspect of the invention, a system is provided for generating a pulsed magnetic field for excitation of a leadless marker assembly. The system includes a source generator assembly having a power supply, an energy storage device, a switching network and an untuned source coil interconnected and configured to deliver a pulsed magnetic excitation signal waveform. In one embodiment, the waveform can be configured to contain sufficient energy at the selected leadless marker resonant frequency to energize the marker sufficiently above the ambient environment background noise. The power supply can be configured to deliver power to energize the energy storage device. The switching network can be configured to direct electrical current through the source coil to generate a pulsed magnetic field; alternately switch between a first xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d position and a second xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d position; alternately switch between the first and second xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d positions, switch to an xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d position to prevent energy transfer from the energy storage device to the source coil; alternately transfer stored energy from the energy storage device to the source coil and to transfer stored energy from the source coil back to the energy storage device when switching between the first and second xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d positions; and the untuned source coil being coupled to the switching network to generate a pulsed excitation signal.
Other embodiments of the invention can have other features. Other embodiments are directed toward methods of energizing a leadless marker assembly.